Post by Chicago Jake on Oct 11, 2013 23:42:38 GMT -6
Lovecraft week continues, with today's offering being Stuart Gordon's 1985 masterpiece, "Re-Animator" (starring Jeffrey Combs, Bruce Abbott, and Barbara Crampton).
This was not one of Lovecraft's favorite stories. In fact, from what I read, he hated it. He only wrote it because a magazine promised to publish it as a serial, and paid him for it. But they had rigid rules that he didn't enjoy adhering to, such as a cliff-hanger ending for each of the six episodes. Also, it has no relation to his standard "mythos," but focuses instead on medically-induced zombiism. In fact, it could well be the original scientifically-induced zombie story of all time!
The movie has very little to do with the original HPL story, except for focusing on a medical student who has found the secret to re-animating (hence the title) dead flesh. First small creatures, then larger, and eventually, humans. Only they never seem to re-animate quite right! They turn violent and totally unreasonable, and not at all fit for polite society.
Jeffrey Combs, who astute watchers will recognize as "Wayoun" the Vorta from "Star Trek DS-9" (as well as a recurring blue-skinned, antennaed Andorian Commander from ST:Enterprise), plays the eponymous Re-Animator with a gleefully horrific monomania, his resolute but creepy facial features a power unto themselves.
I should point out that this isn't strictly a horror movie, either. It is at least half comedy, although played with a straight face. I suppose the nearest movie in tone would be "Evil Dead 2," with equal parts horror, schlock, and comedy. I don't think I'll ever be able to scrub my brain of the image of the re-animated severed head preparing to perform oral sex on the incapacitated heroine!
All in all, an enjoyable guilty pleasure. There were two sequels, both with Combs, but they are not available on Netflix Streaming, so I don't know when I will get around to seeing them.
This was not one of Lovecraft's favorite stories. In fact, from what I read, he hated it. He only wrote it because a magazine promised to publish it as a serial, and paid him for it. But they had rigid rules that he didn't enjoy adhering to, such as a cliff-hanger ending for each of the six episodes. Also, it has no relation to his standard "mythos," but focuses instead on medically-induced zombiism. In fact, it could well be the original scientifically-induced zombie story of all time!
The movie has very little to do with the original HPL story, except for focusing on a medical student who has found the secret to re-animating (hence the title) dead flesh. First small creatures, then larger, and eventually, humans. Only they never seem to re-animate quite right! They turn violent and totally unreasonable, and not at all fit for polite society.
Jeffrey Combs, who astute watchers will recognize as "Wayoun" the Vorta from "Star Trek DS-9" (as well as a recurring blue-skinned, antennaed Andorian Commander from ST:Enterprise), plays the eponymous Re-Animator with a gleefully horrific monomania, his resolute but creepy facial features a power unto themselves.
I should point out that this isn't strictly a horror movie, either. It is at least half comedy, although played with a straight face. I suppose the nearest movie in tone would be "Evil Dead 2," with equal parts horror, schlock, and comedy. I don't think I'll ever be able to scrub my brain of the image of the re-animated severed head preparing to perform oral sex on the incapacitated heroine!
All in all, an enjoyable guilty pleasure. There were two sequels, both with Combs, but they are not available on Netflix Streaming, so I don't know when I will get around to seeing them.